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napoleondynamite1.jpg

Napoleon_Bonaparte_Emperor_and_his_imperial_throne.jpg
FROM ABSOLUTISM TO REVOLUTION
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This is going to be the most important point of our studies to date. Hey, they're all important, but this unit sets the pace for the rest of history to present day. Oh yea, some people will tell you that there's a difference between Napoleon Dynamite and Napoleon Bonaparte, but I don't think so. They both made for a political change in their respective communities and were eventually loved despite their less than cool starts. Of course, this is not all about Napoleon. In fact we will start several decades before he came on the scene with his "whiff of grapeshot." Have fun and enjoy the ride.

Before we begin, let's examine what it is you ought to be leaving this unit knowing.
Unit Objectives:

  • Explain how the ideals of the Enlightenment led people to question Absolutism and led to revolution.
  • Analyze the rule of Louis XIV in France as a case study in Absolutism
  • Examine the causes, course and consequences of the American, French, Haitian and Industrial Revolutions.
  • Explain how the French Revolution developed from constitutional monarchy to democratic despotism to the Napoleonic empire.
  • Analyze leading ideas of the revolution concerning social equality, democracy, human rights, constitutionalism, and nationalism and assess the importance of these ideas for democratic thought and institutions in the 20th century.
  • Explain how the revolution affected French society, including religious institutions, social relations, education, marriage, family life, and the legal and political position of women.
  • Describe how the wars of the revolutionary and Napoleonic period changed Europe and assess Napoleon’s effects on the aims and outcomes of the revolution.
  • Compare the political roles of Creole elites, the Catholic Church, and mestizo, mulatto, and Indian populations in the independence movements.
Enduring Understandings: (Students will understand that...)

  • *Revolution occurs when tyranny meets individualism and self-determination.
  • *Social class often determines perspective and social class is not static.
  • *Revolution can take different forms.
  • *Revolutions often spark other revolutions
  • *Absolutism as a means of governing is inherently prone to abuse of power.
  • *The ideals of the Enlightenment laid the foundation for modern thinking.
  • *Political thought can be classified into 3 broad categories: conservative, moderate, and liberal.

Essential Questions:

  1. What are the common causes, characteristics and consequences of revolutions?
  2. What is the difference between conservative, moderate and liberal political thought?
  3. How does one’s social class impact their perspective on change?
  4. Why is Absolutism as a form of governing problematic and how can it lead to revolution?
  5. How do revolutions often lead to other revolutions?
  6. How are political, social and economic revolutions similar and different?
  7. What are the ideals and sources of the Enlightenment and how do they impact our modern world?

Themes of Study

Below are themes of study for this unit. Each theme should take a class to a several classes. Before we start with themes we will take a look at Where the World was in the 17th Century
Where Are We Today and How Close Is It to REVOLUTION?
The World in the 17th Century
Theme I The Enlightenment
Theme II Absolutism in Europe
Theme III Revolution and the Birth of Modern Democracy
Unit II Final GRASP

G - GOAL R - ROLE A - AUDIENCE S - SITUATION P - PRODUCT S - STANDARDS FOR EVALUATION or RUBRIC

NOTE: A M/C EXAM (AND POTENTIALLY ESSAY OR LONG ANSWER) TEST WILL ALSO BE GIVEN.
Resume Example